Princess to be
by TheStormstrike
Summary: Darling is in absolute delight. She has a princess promised to her. She has her own destiny, her purpose. Someone to protect forever after…
1. Chapter 1

**Princess to be**

Defeating the Evil Queen had been the top priority. Thanks to Raven and Apple it had been possible. At her defeat the world of Ever After had been cleansed and turned back to its usual bright self. As if the Evil Queen had never been there in the first place. Now the sky was blue, the sun was shining, the birds chirped in the trees, and the wind swept calmly through the streets of Books End. Darling was sitting at Hocus Latte with her friend Rosabella, sipping from a cup of coffee. This was the aftermath that followed it would seem. Overprized coffee and inner turmoil. Neither Rosabella nor anyone for that matter seemed to have caught on Darling's struggle. Which was a good thing, of course. Being upset over something as silly as this was rather immature.

Lifting the curse from Apple had been the greatest boost of confidence in Darling's career as a hero since the day she decided to pick up the White Knight's armor. While she would have previously frowned on classic tropes like this one, she felt like this was a confirmation of her own heroism. Only a true hero could have saved Apple from the curse and that meant Darling really was a hero. She now had her own destiny. She had her own purpose instead of just being someone's damsel in distress. Now Darling had someone she could protect forever after!

So why hadn't Apple said or done anything? Didn't she know? Someone ought to have told her by now. Darling admitted that she should probably just have told her right as she woke her up but there was really no time for it back then. They had been in a war with Raven's mother after all. But now the war was over so why didn't she just tell her? Darling would and should have done so by now but she couldn't find the right words. She would repeat sentences over and over in her head, trying to come up with ways to tell Apple what had really happened. However, they all sounded so childish and awkward in her head and Darling decided that it might be best to just wait. Right now Apple probably still thought that Darling's dear brother Daring was her savior. Darling felt an unfamiliar stinging in her heart and gave an audible sigh.

This caused Rosabella to look up from her MirrorPhone. "What's the matter Darling?" she asked.

"Ah, I don't know," Darling replied. She was resting her head in her palm while twirling her platinum blonde hair between her fingers. "Okay, yeah I do. It's my brother."

"Which one?"

"Daring. I have barely seen him since the whole mess with the Evil Queen. He doesn't respond to my hexts either even though I can see that he has seen them. It's like he's avoiding me."

"Don't flip your crown Darling. That's silly. Why'd your own brother be avoiding you?"

"I don't know. You're probably right though – it's nothing to worry about." Darling had a faint idea though. She had unintentionally stolen her brother's entire destiny: Apple White. It didn't seem like Daring to hold a grudge like that and as far as Darling could tell, he and Apple had never actually been that much into each other. Not that Darling was into Apple either, at least she didn't think so, so why should Daring feel he had lost Apple?

The girls paid for the coffee and left the café. It was late afternoon and most of the shops and trading stores were about to close for the night. People wandered through the narrow streets and soon both Darling and Rosabella had joined them. As they walked, Darling lost herself in thoughts once again. Somewhere deep down she had thought that Apple at least would be thankful for what she had done. A pat on the shoulder or perhaps a 'hey, thank you for saving my life'. That'd honestly be enough. But whenever she met Apple in the hallway at the school she didn't make any notions that could indicate appreciation. Disappointed, Darling had felt like she should have earned some kind of reward and mentally kicked herself for it. True knights didn't do their heroic deeds for the praise or rewards but for honor and glory.

"Darling are you alright? You've been so quiet tonight."

Darling thought of a way to respond to the simple question. She was obviously a mess and couldn't just keep on denying it. "Have you heard about what happened to Apple in the glade when - - "

"Yes Darling, I've heard! I'm glad you're finally ready to talk about it!"

"… What?"

"I didn't want to push it. I was waiting for you to open up so you could be more comfortable with it. I want you to know that you have my deepest support and that I'll always love you no matter what makes your glass shoe fit. I'm just so glad that you're finally coming out."

"I - …, Rosabella, I don't like girls if that's what you're implying," Darling said, rolling her eyes.

"Wait, what? Everyone is saying you kissed Apple to wake her up."

"I didn't _kiss_ her! It was CPR! Who is saying that?"

"I think I heard it from Cerise who was told by Blondie who had heard it from my cousin Briar. But Darling, look, I'm not judging you. You can tell me anything, you know that right?"

Darling laughed sweetly although she was getting increasingly irritated. Rosabella would usually be the one to stick up against injustice. Usually against animal cruelty though. Darling would wish she would stick to woodland critters right now.

"Well Rosabella, I can assure you that I'm as straight as a beanstalk. I get that people have been gossiping and spreading rumors about Apple and I but you have to understand that they are just that: rumors."

Rosabella gave her an uncomfortably doubtful look. It was as if those dark brown eyes could stare into Darling's soul. Or maybe it was just something Darling was imagining. Either way Darling thought she managed to sound fairy convincing. She had almost succeeded in swaying herself into believing that it had just been CPR as well. Rosabella, or anyone else for that matter, didn't have to know about Darling's actual hopes of becoming someone's knight in shining armor.

At last Rosabella smiled. "Darling, if that's what you say then I believe you. I was just being curious."

As the two girls made their way up to the school castle, Darling realized how quickly the dusk had swallowed the valley. Spring was on its way so it was easy to forget that it was still Fairybrurary. Darling and Rosabella passed through the many corridors, dimly lit with torches and old chandeliers. In each corner of the passages stood brooding suits of armor, empty of course, silent figures watching over the students. Darling adored the suits and had walked past them many times, dreaming of one day fulfilling the duties of their past users. Each suit was different from the rest and each wielded their own personal weapon. Swords, maces, axes and morning stars. Darling knew the name of all the types and how they were supposed to be wielded. With a peaceful sigh, she dreamt of fighting evil dragons and saving damsels. "You must admit it was pretty heroic of me, right?" Darling asked. Just thinking of Apple opening her eyes still filled her with a sense of pride. Darling hated boasting but these feelings were all so new and hexciting. She had to let them out somehow and Rosabella was her nearest friend.

"What? Are we talking about Apple? Then yes, it was fairy awesomely done. Hey, do you mind helping me out with some of my work tomorrow?"

"Sure! I haven't got any thronework this weekend anyway."

"Hexcellent! I've got some flyers to pass out and some posters to hang up around school. I'm sure it'll be a lot easier if you could help me out."

"Of course," Darling smiled and the two girls kept talking about work all the way up to their dorm room in the high tower. The room was clearly divided into two sections: Rosabella's side was covered with awareness posters of different endangered mythical beasts. She had banners in many colors hanging over her bed and on the walls, each from a different demonstration. A large green poster with a smiling forest dryad had the text, "once upon a time to go organic" written in large bright letters. Vines with yellow roses flourished around the posts of her canopy bed. Darling's side of the room, however, was far more sparkly. She had large pillows embroidered with patterns of blue sequins and the headboard of her bed was decorated with her personal coat of arms. The usual crown of the Charming family, only Darling's was of silver. A pair of crossed swords found their place below on a blue field. Darling remembered the day her father and brothers had presented it to her. Since both her brothers had their own their father had only found it fair to decorate one for his daughter as well. Darling loved it but of course her mother had been against it. She was always like that, thinking she could control Darling, thinking Darling wanted to be like her. The thought of her mother made Darling mad and she barely noticed when Rosabella said goodnight. Instead Darling sat in her bed playing Call of Beauty for an hour or so, letting our her anger, before getting into bed as well. She put her crownphones and MirrorTop on her throne in her corner of the dorm room and changed into her night wear. Sleep didn't come easy to Darling and laid still in her bed thinking about all the things happening in her life right now. Her mother, Daring, her secret practice in becoming a knight. She also thought about Apple but that literally just became too much. Darling couldn't imagine explaining to her what had happened. That'd be too much. Oh, and then there was also the thronework for the next Wandsday after this weekend. She really, really needed a break. Hopefully, when she told Apple, she would be accepted as her knight champion.

"No no no!" cried Apple and buried her face in her hands. "This isn't how it is supposed to happen!" She threw herself onto her bed and screamed into her white, apple shaped pillow. Seeing the usually mild Apple acting like this was rare and felt peculiar. In fact, she might never have had a freak out like this in front of someone else.

Raven, who had been the one to bring her the news, thought she was overreacting. There was no way that it being Darling who had lifted the curse from her meant anything. It was because of Apple's own stupid reasoning that she concluded that Darling apparently must be destined to become her prince to be. More like 'princess to be', Raven thought and snickered to herself. She thought it was all quite humorous really. Apple was always the pure, innocent do-gooder who seemed to have her life under complete control. Seeing the tables being turned for once felt fairy satisfying.

After a short while however, Raven started to feel sorry for Apple. She sat down next to her roommate and rested her palm at her shoulder. Apple had started whimpering and didn't seem to acknowledge Raven's presence at all but she could tell that Apple became a bit more relaxed. Raven might not have shared Apple's point of view but she could still feel empathy and was genuinely touched by her friend's sorrow. It was a stupid reason for being upset though.

"Apple, you know, this doesn't have to change anything," Raven said once Apple had stopped crying. She had shifted to caressing Apple's back as if she was some kind of giant cat. It had worked. "This doesn't mean that Darling is somehow your destiny. You can still marry Daring or what-ever-after it is you want."

Apple made a small cough before sitting up. "No Raven, don't you get it? The spell could only be broken by a true love's kiss. Daring's kiss didn't save me but Darling's did. Logically speaking, it means Darling is my one true love." She made it sound so convincing that Raven almost had trouble blaming her for believing in something so blatantly insane. But this was Apple White. Raven and Apple had always squabbled over the concepts of legacy, destiny and fate – but all while maintaining a strong friendship which Raven deeply appreciated. This was a major deal however. Apple's Prince Charming had turned out to be a girl. A Princess Charming. Apple wasn't into girls as far as Raven knew, but then again, this wasn't really something they talked about.

"Look on the bright side, Apple," Raven said, giggling. "At least Darling isn't the worst knight in shining armor out there." Raven's friendly attempt to light the mood wasn't helping at all. Apple's face instead turned into a sour grimace. Teasing Apple probably wasn't the smartest thing to do at this point. "I'm sorry," Raven said sincerely "I was just trying to make you feel better." Apple rubbed her mascara-smeared eyes and tried to smile. This really meant a lot to Apple and Raven respected that. Leaning back in the bed to rest her back on the wall, Raven sat there for a moment without saying anything. She felt her roommate leaning against her and they embraced in one of their many platonic girl hugs.

Raven was sitting in that awkward position for some time while the shaking Apple was clinging to her arm, not really knowing what to do or say. "You know, you have to get out there at some point," said Raven. "You have talked to Darling since the incident. Nothing weird happened then, right?" The defeat of her mother, the Evil Queen, had been a few days ago and while the everyday boring school life had quickly returned no one had bothered to tell Apple about what really happened that afternoon in the forest glade where she had slept. Raven hadn't talked to Darling or had any classes with her since but she imagined that Darling would act like her natural, cool self. Like Raven, Darling wasn't one to become so odd and irrational when it came to things like this. Raven told herself that once Darling and Apple had talked things through everything would return to normal.

"Well, that was before I knew she was the one who woke me up. Oh Raven," Apple sighed frustrated. "How am I even going to talk to her now? How can I ever look at her in the same way?" Apple sat up and leaned forward over her knees. It was obvious that she was in a dilemma.

"You could just say 'thanks' and move on."

"What? I can't just say thanks and then never talk about it again."

"Why not?"

"Because that's not how you do it. The prince wakes up the princess with a true love's kiss. Then we get married and then we live happily ever after. You know the story as well as I do, Raven. Even if you're no longer part of it."

It was true. Raven knew the story but after defeating her mother, Apple had slowly accepted that Raven was free to choose her own path. It was probably also the amount of guilt Apple felt over being the one to release the Evil Queen in the first place. But now the "kiss" from Darling would apparently be Apple's new _thing_. It would be just like when Apple had thought that Raven would suddenly have a change of heart and turn evil and thus poisoning her with an apple. Raven had tried to explain to her friend so many times that she was not going to do what her mother and her mother had done, and that she wanted to choose her own destiny. Sometimes the arguments had got fairy heated, sometimes they had yelled at each other until Raven would get so angry that she stormed out of the room. Then she would ignore Apple for a couple of days until she calmed down and they could be around each other again. Time had taught them to avoid the subject. Then they would manage to have a somewhat normal friendship. While pondering on this, Raven easily connected the dots. Now she understood how Apple could think that receiving CPR from Darling was an act of true love. It was her own stubbornness and commitment to following the outdated rules that deluded her into this madness.


	2. Chapter 2

Apple lazily made her way down to the Castleteria. She had barely had any sleep, spending most of the night thinking about what she had learned. Darling was the one who had woken her up and not her precious prince Daring as she had thought. She could still hardly grasp it. How had it even worked? Darling was a girl for Grimm's sake. It didn't make any sense. Princes were made to save princesses and princesses were meant to be saved by princes. That was how it had always been. So why did everything have to be so hard now? Why couldn't things just be as simple with her as they had been with her mother? A lot was depending on Apple, she knew. The future of her kingdom, her family, her people. All that and more were jeopardized once again thanks to Darling.

Apple sighed frustrated. Why was fate being so cruel to her? First Raven had bailed from their story. That had turned out to be alright though because Apple had still been poisoned by anevil queen nonetheless. Now she could write that point off her list. It probably didn't matter that it had been Raven's mom and not Raven herself, which meant Apple was still following her destiny. But now she had a princess for a prince. It didn't make any sense. What was she supposed to make of this? She would have to speak to her royal student's counselor the White Queen about it. And Darling too, Apple admitted. Just not right now.

She saw Ashlynn and Briar who were waiting for her by the Castleteria's entrance. They smiled and waved as Apple approached, oblivious to the frustration Apple was going through. Why hadn't they told her anything? Why did she have to rely on Raven to hear so important facts like this one? It wouldn't matter now though. Hopefully talking with her best friends could lead Apple's thoughts off of Darling for some time.

The three girls met up and walked into the Castleteria. "How'd you sleep?" Briar asked Apple as they put the breakfast on their plates. Apple chose some whole grain bread with cheese and jam, a bowl of yogurt and a small piece of apple pie. "You look like you have slept on a pea."

"Gee, thanks," Apple said while rubbing her forehead tiresomely and removed a stray hair from her eyebrow. "I haven't slept at all." It was true. She had spent all night crying in confusion, conflicted over the revelation of what Darling's kiss could mean.

While waiting for her tea to brew, Apple asked Briar how she had slept. Wonderlandifully, Briar replied. Of course, she always did, and Apple envied her. Envying wasn't fairy princess-like Apple knew and instantly she regretted it shamefully. The three princesses made their way through the Castleteria. It was early in the morning and few students, such as Apple who managed to drag her friends along, would have the energy to go all the way down for breakfast. As time passed more and more people would join them, Apple knew. She scanned the room, fearful that Darling might be sitting somewhere close by. She wasn't there. Only Cupid and Blondie were sitting by the window in the left end of the hall.

Apple, Ashlynn and Briar sat down next to them and hexchanged their usual morning greetings. Did they know about the kiss as well? Most of the school probably did, she feared. Apple honestly felt betrayed that no one had told her. As the three girls sat down Apple made sure to position herself in the right spot so that she had a clear view of the hall's entrance. That way she could see everyone who went in and out of the room but all while sitting behind Briar so that she wouldn't draw as much attention if she kept staring at the two open entrances.

"Hey Apple, you're zoning out," Cupid said with a smile which caused the whole table to giggle. Apple realized that she had been sitting there without saying anything the entire time which never ever after happened. She had to act natural or people would think there was something wrong. People would think she knew about Darling and then she would have to deal with it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was thinking about some thronework," Apple said apologetically. The other girls were satisfied with that hexcuse and went on with their gossiping but Apple could tell that Cupid was not buying it. Of course not. The two girls held eye contact until Apple couldn't take it anymore and looked away, beaten. Cupid surely knew all about Apple's troubles with Darling. She probably thought that Apple needed help or something. That'd be so typical. Cupid always played matchmaker with the other students and while the thought behind it was usually sweet and endearing, it could also be fairy annoying. Apple remembered how Cupid had spent weeks trying to get Hopper Croakington and Briar together. But Briar had no interest in Hopper at all and Apple had had to personally ask Cupid to quit it. Apple knew she shouldn't be mad at her though. After all, Cupid was just trying to follow her destiny. Just like Apple was.

Apple sat and counted all the newcomers who entered the Castleteria while poking the yogurt with her spoon. Ginger, Dexter, Cerise and many other students, some she knew well and other she didn't went through the entrance. Even Raven entered at some points but she didn't see Apple and thus sat down next to Madeline and Cerise. Maybe Darling wasn't going to eat breakfast today. Maybe she was feeling ill. In that case Apple wouldn't have to worry about running into her and having to hexplain herself to her. Apple was just about to sigh in relief when Darling's familiar slim shape entered the Castleteria. Of course, Apple thought. As if by destiny. Apple watched Darling as she looked around for a place to sit. It suddenly became clear to Apple that Darling might actually sit down next to them as the princesses of Ever After High would usually sit together in a clique. Both Apple, Briar and Ashlynn were princesses so the chances of Darling sitting next to them was definitely there. Apple thought it looked like Darling might be considering it but in the end she sat next to her fellow rebels Raven and the others. Apple mentally begged Raven that she wouldn't say or do anything that could indicate that Apple was upset.

"Apple, are you going to finish your breakfast?" someone suddenly said. Apple looked up and saw that it was Briar. All the other girls' plates were empty while Apple's was still mostly full. No one said anything for a few moments until Apple dug the spoon into the yogurt and then made an obvious gesture of putting it in her mouth. It tasted like humiliation. Did they know she had been staring at Darling? Did they care?

Soon Cupid and Blondie removed their plates, put on their bookpacks and said their goodbyes. Apple was going to have Damsel-in-Distressing with Blondie later that day and waved shortly as they left. Briar and Ashlynn were sitting back waiting for Apple to finish her food. Apple kept glancing at Darling's table. She was talking to Cerise about something and kept laughing. It made Apple feel uneasy.

"You must be royally tired," Briar said, obviously bored. Apple wished her friend would be more polite and not so direct but admitted that she would probably not care that much either if she was going to be sleeping for a hundred years. But still.

"I already told you, I've got a lot of thronework on my mind," Apple said stubbornly, shifting her gaze from Darling and onto Briar.

"Oh come on Apple," Ashlynn said. "It's obvious that you are staring at Raven. Did you two have a fight?"

What? Why would she assume that she and Raven had had a fight? They didn't fight that often. Not anymore. Definitely not since Raven didn't have to be a chapter of her story any longer.

Apple would have said yes as that would have been a valid reason for her odd behavior. But she hated lying to her friends and went with a 'something like that' and that was the end of it. Apple finally finished her pie and the three girls made their way out of the Castleteria. Moving past the rebels' table, Apple could see from the corner of her eye that Darling was watching her, opening her mouth to say something. But Apple quickly moved past her though and soon she, Briar and Ashlynn had left the room. She usually didn't walk that fast and her friends had trouble keeping up. Neither seemed to notice how she had avoided their friend and thus Apple kept moving on. She wanted to get as far away from the Castleteria and Darling as possible. When she finally slowed down Briar and Ashlynn managed to catch up on her.

"Slow down Apple, Raven isn't following us," Briar said as she caught her breath, still believing that there were trying to get away from Apple's roommate. Apple looked over her shoulder to make sure Darling wasn't following them. But why would she?

"I can't run in these heels Apple," Briar continued. But in Apple's agitated state if mind she could hardly think of Briar's poor choice of footwear. One thing was certain and that was that they had needed to get out of that Castleteria. Apple rubbed her friend's back, apologizing for making her suffer. Treating her friends like this made Apple sick and she wouldn't allow herself to keep it up. As the whimpering Briar made her way down the hallway to the classroom where she was supposed to have geografairy, Ashlynn was just about to take leave as well. But before she could go, Apple gently called out for her. Ashlynn spun around and give her friend a quick smile. Apple knew that her own lack of flashing pearly whites would tell Ashlynn that something was wrong.

"What's wicked?" Ashlynn said as hexpected.

Apple sighed dramatically, letting her friend know that something big was coming. "Oh Ashlynn, I need to tell you something. But you can't tell anyone else."

"It's a secret?"

"Yes," Apple nodded and leaned in closer to Ashlynn. "You have to promise me not to tell anyone."

"Not even Briar?"

"You can tell Briar but no one else, ok?"

"Ok!" Ashlynn said with eyes filled with anticipation. When Apple had fables to share no one would turn away. Apple held a short pause, not knowing how to hexplain it in a way that wouldn't revolt Ashlynn. Apple had always been pure and telling her something like this might shatter that image of her. "You see," she began "when I was cursed, it wasn't actually Daring that woke me up."

"It was Darling."

Apple gasped. "What? You knew?!" Her purity thrown right out of the window!

"Yes, most of us do," Ashlynn said, smiling, as if it wasn't a disaster. "But it's no big deal Apple! We're glad you're alive!"

Apple had to take a few steps back. The fact of the whole school knowing had been lingering in the back parts of her brain but to be so directly confronted with it seemed so sudden. She had almost swooned if it wasn't because she was so irritated. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We thought you knew."

Apple nearly flipped her crown, waving her arms around in desperation. "How should I? No one is telling me anything!" Finally she could let her anger out. It was quite justified as Ashlynn had been hiding the truth from her like everyone else. But surely Ashlynn was taken aback, shocked by Apple's outburst. "Uh, I…"

It wasn't entirely Ashlynn's fault so it be un-fairest letting her anger out on her. Apple did a small cough, clearing her throat before putting her middle and index finger to her left temple. She slowly calmed down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout like that."

After regaining her cool, Ashlynn laid an arm around Apple's shoulder and the friends walked down the hallway united. "You're upset?" Ashlynn then said calmly, trying to approach the vulnerable lioness.

Slowly Apple nodded. "I thought Daring was my prince but apparently his little sister stole his spot. Now I feel like I can't get as far as way from her as possible." Saying the words out loud made it all the more powerful and easier to understand. Even if she might have denied it at first she had now also confirmed it. Apple thought of Daring and wondered where he might be. She hadn't seen him since he had been standing over her glass coffin in the woods. She hadn't thought much of it at first but now she was seriously starting to worry.

Apple and Ashlynn walked for a short time, working with their own thoughts. "Darling saved your life Apple. You can't just ignore her after that," Ashlynn then said.

"That's also what Raven told me. Ashlynn, can I be honest with you for a second?"

"Always," her friend replied with a big smile.

"I don't want to talk to Darling. I wouldn't know what to say."

"Just say 'thanks'."

"No, there's more to it than just that. If I acknowledge that she saved me then we'll have to get married. Married to another girl, Ashlynn."

"Oh, yeah. I didn't think about that." Apple was glad that she wouldn't have to repeat the discussion she had had with Raven the night before. Ashlynn understood her so much better when it came to destiny.

"Would it be so bad though?" Ashlynn asked her after some time.

"…What?"

"You know, marrying Darling?"

"Are you kidding me?" The words simply burst from Apple's mouth. But honestly?

"No no, I mean, isn't she everything you wanted ever after?"

"Hexcuse me?"

"Look, Darling is without a doubt the bravest, most knightly student at the school. She is even braver than my Hunter for frog prince's sake! She is just like the perfect prince hexcept without being a prince."

"That's the point Ashlynn. She is not a prince," Apple cut it out in small bits. "She is a princess."

"But you can't deny that it was a true love's kiss that woke you up."

"I don't love Darling!"

Why was she even having this discussion? Did Ashlynn or anyone really have no idea what Apple was going through or why it meant so much to her?

"Then how'd she manage to wake you up?"

Ashlynn was using her own logic against her and it was so annoying. Apple knew for a fact that she didn't love Darling but how could she deny it now? Ever after since Apple had learned that she was going to marry Daring and had been introduced to the Charming family, she had mostly seen Darling as a younger sister. But now she loved her, apparently, the proof was there at least. Apple scratched her forehead. What are you supposed to do when two laws collide? Apple was supposed to marry the fairytale who woke her up with a kiss but meanwhile she wasn't supposed to marry another princess. It drove her crazy. And how mustn't Darling be feeling? She was probably as confused as Apple was, maybe even scared. That poor girl. She had probably just done it out of desperation. Apple was a year older than Darling and was thus supposed to be more mature. She made a promise to herself that she would talk to the princess in steel as soon as she had come to terms with it herself. Whenever after that might be.

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While sitting in the Home Economyths class, Darling had trouble concentrating as usually. This was so stupid and uninteresting. When would she ever, while facing a fire-breathing dragon, have to know about agriculture or rural communities? This was _so_ boring. Here they learned about things her mother wanted her to learn, things like; how to can peaches, sewing dresses, making perfect gravy. Sure, it was useful and wearing nice fableous dresses surely felt satisfying, but Darling had often found herself thinking that Home Economyths were merely a conspiracy to keep princesses in the castles or home with the kids.

But on this day, while doodling squiggles of armor and flowers on the paper she was supposed to take notes on, Darling also found herself distracted by curly blonde hair, fair skin white as snow and a set of lips red as blood. It was Apple's slim frame and wonderlandifully bright blue eyes that drove her mad. Darling surely didn't feel any sort of romantic feelings towards the girl but still desired to be close to her. That was only natural, right? She was her protector and champion, wasn't she? Well, she was going to be. It was probably also her instinct as a coming knight. Apple wasn't attending this class but they were going to have Damsel in Distressing later, another subject Darling h-a-t-e-d, but hopefully she could talk to her then. She had seen her that same morning at breakfast but Apple didn't seem to have noticed her. She might still not know about their kiss. Or "CPR"…

Next to Darling sat Cerise, also bored, obviously. She was sitting, boots on the table, glancing out of the window probably wanting to be anywhere else than here. Darling knew that she was secretly wearing a set of crownphones under her red hood though. She usually did. Cerise had also offered her a piece of gum earlier and Darling had gladly accepted. In front of her sat a pair of princes who, for some reason, also had chosen Home Economyths for their schedule. It was Hopper Croakington and a green-haired boy whose name she wasn't too sure about. He was the supposed son of a marsh king or something. Either way, the princes were usually made fun of behind their backs for having picked a subject that was usually intended for princesses. Darling did a shrug while the thoughts floated around inside her head. Some princes apparently liked cooking food and canning peaches and Darling wasn't the one to judge them. Your gender doesn't determine what you like to do. Or maybe it was just a hexcuse to pick up girls.

Then Darling remembered that Hopper was her brother Daring's roommate. Maybe he knew where Daring was? After having stared at the watch for about 40 minutes by now, Darling knew hexactly that they only had six minutes left of class. Then she would ask Hopper about her brother.

Those were the longest six minutes ever counted by a princess locked inside a boring classroom. But as people slowly woke up and started packing their bookpacks, Darling quickly made her way in front of Hopper and the green haired guy's table and slammed her palms into the desk. Surprised, they looked up at her. Darling was smiling sweetly at Hopper and Cerise had already disappeared.

"Hopper, I need to talk to you!"

"H-hey Darling," Hopper croaked, his voice cracking, suffering from puberty, all while smiling charmlessly. "… - more like… Sparkling… because, you know, you're so h-hot."

As a frog, Hopper might be blessed with epic poetry but as a boy, he was cursed with social awkwardness. Creepy pick-up lines were his special trait. He had sometimes tried wooing Darling but she or her brothers would always turn him down. If only he had kept his elegance in his human form then perhaps he would have had more success seducing damsels. But he didn't. Darling had always seen him as a clingy, kind of whiny doofus who tried too hard to be a ladies' man, ending up seeming more desperate than anything. Darling pitied the gangly boy. He should try picking up a sword or doing some hexercise instead of playing on his MirrorTop all the time.

Darling wasn't here to be flirted with though and she quickly got to business. "I'm looking for Daring. Have you seen him?"

Instantly his hormone-based arousal changed into something else that Darling could have sworn was guilt. Had Hopper done something to her brother?! No, obviously not. Hopper wouldn't hurt a fly. Or… bad hexample. Darling narrowed her eyes and stared at him. They were alone in the room.

"I don't - - I don't know!" Hopper gulped. He looked at his friend who seemed just as aghast. There was no use in questioning him though. Hopper was the one sharing room with Daring.

"Where is my brother?" Darling asked, resting her fists on her hips while giving him a stern look. She was losing her patience.

"I'm… I - -," he said, mumbling something incoherent.

"What?"

"… not supposed to…"

"Tell me!" Darling yelled.

"I'm not supposed to tell you!- -!" and with a magic "puff", where the teenaged boy had been sitting, now sat a tiny, slimy frog covered in its own green goo. It wore an adorable little bow-tie and crown, similar to Hopper's but much smaller.

"Blast!" cried the frog, adjusting its crown. "Thou knowst what happens to me, fair lady. Why must thou wham me like this?"

A minute later Darling was holding the froggish Hopper over the balcony in a stretched arm. Storks were wandering about on their long, red legs, nipping after a meal in the mire below them.

"Tell me where my brother is, Hopper. My arm is getting tired."

"I toldest thou once and I shall tell thou again, vile maiden! I am a frog of my word – I promised to keep Daring's whereabouts to myself!"

"Just cut it out Hopper. We both know you're going to tell me where he is at some point so you might as well just get to it."

The crowned frog said. He was stubborn, Darling would give him that. But it wouldn't him here. "You see those storks over there?" Darling asked, pointing at the big, crane-like birds. The birds were usually fairy talkative and a few of them even had a great sense of humor but everyone and their fairy godmother knew that Hopper was terrified of them.

"Thou wouldn't dare!" gasped the frog prince, clinging to Darling's fingers. "I'll tell he is fine but other than that my lips are sealed."

That wasn't good enough. Daring might be crushed after his fableous failure and Darling, as his family, had to get him back on track. She let out a sharp whistle and all the storks turned their beaked heads in their direction. As she started to shake Hopper up and down, the loud, quacking storks hurriedly made their way to the balcony in a storm of white feathers. They jumped at Darling's hand in an attempt to catch a quick snack of delicious frog legs but Darling easily estimated the balcony being too high above for them to reach.

"He's here at the school! Please let me go!"

"Whoops, you're so slippery!" Darling said, pretending to almost drop her hostage.

"He's at the stables! He's at the stables!"

That was it. Darling quickly drew her arm back and put the frog on the balcony's stone railing. Darling felt terrible about what she had just done but it had been necessary. Hadn't it? She sat down next to the frog. "I'm sorry about this."

Hopper didn't say anything at first but as Darling stood up again, he quickly begged her to wait. "Can thou at least turn me back?"

"I much prefer you as a frog, Hopper. You're a lot more talkative and a lot less contemptuous." But Darling didn't actually consider leaving him like this. There were plenty of wild animals out here who would love a tiny frog for a meal and Hopper was, to be fair, one of her friends. She moved the small amphibian to her mouth and planted a gentle peck on its slimy skin. Instantly the real Hopper reappeared in her arms, curled together in an odd fetal position. Darling dropped him. Hopper sat back on the tiled balcony floor, watching her from between the large marble vases filled with blooming roses. He was white as a sheet, apparently still in shock. "A-are you going to tell Daring I snitched?"

"No," Darling replied and kneeled down next to him. "Not unless you tell Headmaster Grimm about this." Darling put her hand on his shoulder, trying to shake some life into the poor guy. It didn't seem to help so she offered him a quick smile. "Thanks."

With that Darling ran off. Through the school's corridors, past the suits of armor, through the hallways and down the stairs. People hurriedly got out of their way when they saw the wild princess running in their direction while Darling tried to make hasty apologizes as she ran into them. She crossed the large, green field distancing the school from the stables and threw herself at the large, wooden door and into the warm stables. Minor dragons were crawling among the stalls in what would have been a chaos, if they had been mere animals. But dragons were highly intelligent beasts and their playful games were only a part of their early stages of life.

Darling looked around for Herowing, the ice-breathing dragon that had chosen her at the Dragon Games. It wasn't difficult to see her, as she clearly stood out from the rest of the baby dragons, adorned in a pattern of light blue scales and a pair of blue-ish, twirled horns. Darling let out a whistle and Herowing, who had been playing with Raven's dragon Nevermore, quickly made it's way over to Darling. As the dragon jumped and danced in front of her, eager to play, she almost forgot that this was in fact a dangerous animal and not an actual puppy. If the dragon had been in its adult form, it could have covered her in a layer of ice or torn her to pieces. But of course she wouldn't. At her birth, she had chosen Darling and now they were friends. A magical bond, Raven had hexplained. She knew way more about dragons than anyone else, having grown up with her purple Nevermore. Darling looked around in the stables. There didn't seem to be any sign of Daring. Had Hopper been lying just to get away? Maybe. Darling knew it was stupid but asked Herowing anyway. "Have you seen my brother? Have you seen Daring?"

Yet oddly enough, Herowing joyfully jumped away, crawling over the straw covered stone floor until she stopped at one of the wooden stalls. She butted her head against the stall's gate, as if she was trying to open it. Suspicious, Darling made her way over to the stall. There was no way Herowing had been able to understand what she had just said and there was no way that Daring could be inside the stall. But, nevertheless, Darling slowly opened the wooden gate and of course, there on the ground sat her brother, leaned against the wall. He was sleeping.

"Daring?" Darling whispered and squatted down next to her older brother. He seemed dirty, hair unwashed, clothes strained with what she hoped was mud and was clearly in a rough. But he was obviously breathing yet he didn't respond. Darling touched his shoulder and he opened his eyes.

Neither of them said anything, Darling wanting her brother to hexplain himself, Daring not saying anything until he had cleared his throat. "You're probably wondering why I'm out here."

"Yes! I've been worried sick!"

"Well, it's… you see…"

Darling crossed her arms. "This is so unlike you, Daring. You hate getting dirty. What's up with you?"

Her brother made a sigh, seemingly planning his words. She admitted that Daring wasn't the sharpest sword in the scabbard but he had a good heart. He knew when to be serious and this seemed to be one of the times. It frightened her a bit. It meant something fairy bad was about to leave his mouth.

"I know," Daring then said. "It's because I'm not me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not the prince of destiny. I'm not Prince Charming."

Oh by Grimm's beard, it was as Darling had hexpected. Her brother had been crushed by the fact that she had "stolen" his destiny. As if Apple White was his right. But she wasn't anymore. It pained Darling to see her overly-self-confident brother down in the dumps like this and knew she had to get him home somehow. He would come to his senses once he had had a bath, put on some washed clothes and fixed his hair. Then, when he had talked to some other princesses, he would have forgotten all about Apple.

"What are you doing out here anyway? Have you lived here all week since we defeated Raven's mom?"

Daring nodded. "I've been surviving on nothing but straw, dragon fodder and will power. I have even shared trough with the dragon cups and I think they've finally accepted me as one of their own."

Darling knew what the dragons were being fed, mostly the bloody guts and entrails of larger animals that the staff wouldn't feed the students, and felt disgusted. She helped her frail brother up and they walked into the center of the stable. Herowing was once again cuddling against Darling's leg. Her skin felt so cold.

"I'm taking you back to your room," Darling told her older brother. "This is no place for a future king."

With that, Daring frowned and sat down on a bale of straw, arms crossed. "A future king, no? That dream went out of the window the day I failed to wake Apple White. Look at me now, down in the dirt – as if I were a mere peasant!"

Daring really wanted to have this discussion right now? Fine. They were going to have it at some point. Might as well be now. "I didn't mean to take your destiny from you but it was _my_ CPR that saved Apple."

Daring cut her off. "Your _kiss_ , you mean."

"Sure, my kiss." Darling cut back, rolling her eyes.

It seemed as if the words pained him and he obviously grinded his teeth in dissatisfaction. After the Storybook of Legends had been destroyed, most of the royals had had trouble comforting the idea of having to make your own destiny yourself.

"Aren't you happy that your kiss failed? Now you can find your own destiny – choose whatever after you want the most."

"But I want to be Prince Charming! That is whom I was _meant_ to be! It's in my name!"

"You can still be someone's Prince Charming. Every girl on this school would love to be your girlfriend, Daring, trust me."

That seemed to shut Daring up and he seemed to fall into a deep state of thinking. That was pretty rare of her brother and so Darling just helped him up and they quietly walked out of the stables. Darling felt her MirrorPhone vibrating in her dress pocket and thought it was probably Rosabella asking why she was late for Damsel in Distressing. Darling felt no need to hurry up though.

9


	3. Chapter 3

From the corner of her eye, Apple noticed a white and blue streaked silhouette coming down the hallway. Oh Godmother, it was her. That page-ripping white mane could only belong to one princess. _Her_ princess. Apple started breathing uncontrollably when she realized that the enormous puff of hair was moving right towards her. Was Darling going to talk to her? What would she say if she did? Without looking away from her school locker, she could hear Darling's light steps slow down when she approached. Apple felt a chilling feeling run down her spine and instantly knew that a layer of goose bumps had spread across her forearms. _Don't talk to me, don't talk to me, don't talk to me_ , Apple begged, pretending not to notice the young princess moving past her. Darling didn't. Neither of the two girls acknowledged the other's presence. When Apple could no longer hear the footsteps, she gasped for air and she could finally breathe again.

This was so stupid. Why couldn't she just talk to Darling like a mature adult? Apple had usually handled situations like these so very well and now she was going to be late for Kingdom Management! Playing along back when she had thought Daring would be her prince to be had not been difficult at all. But she had admittedly also had most of her life to practice on that. This was different. This was new. Oh dear Grimm, why was fate so cruel to her? Images flashed through her head: Raven, Ashlynn, herself; all telling her to harden up and talk to Darling. She couldn't keep on pretending that nothing had happened that afternoon in that glade.

"Darling!" Apple called and instantly regretted it. _No!_ What had she done? There was no turning back now. Perhaps that was for the best. The white-haired heroine immediately turned around with a lively, upbeat hexpression on her face, smiling from the one ear to the other. As if she had just been waiting for Apple to mess up like this and was now going to humiliate her. _Why didn't you talk to me earlier, sleepyhead? Want another kiss?_

No one said anything. To Apple the hallway felt completely silent even if the whole corridor was full of voices and school sounds. Darling was only standing a few feet away and Apple walked up to her. Shaking, she leaned against the pink lockers and watched Darling. She was standing in her usual light blue attire, a short blue dress, metal bracelets and a pair of neatly polished shoulderplates. She was standing there, all innocent-like, only the smug smile on her pretty face giving an indication that she knew hexactly what was going on.

"Hi," Apple stammered, not sure if the words had ever escaped her lips.

"Hello Apple," Darling replied with a cheerful confidence. How did she manage to be so cool? She obviously wasn't as burdened as Apple was by all this.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm doing quite fine, thanks," Darling replied casually, apparently not bothered at all. Apple could even have sworn that she winked at her but that was most likely just her mind playing games with her. What now? What was she supposed to say? Darling said nothing. She was just standing there, leaning against the locker, smiling calmly at her as if she had just won some kind of prize. Was this Darling's way of punishing her for first talking to her now? Nevertheless, people had started discreetly gathering around them, wanting to know what would happen next. Everyone apparently knew what was going on. Both Apple and Darling were used to crowds and people wanting in on their private lives but Apple felt too uncomfortable to make a scene. The words were nearly stuck in her throat when she opened her mouth. "Can we go outside?"

"Lead the way," Darling replied lightly and Apple made her escape down the hallway. However, when she and Darling went outside, she discovered that the crowd was following them. Standing on a large balcony among many tree-tall columns, Apple rested her hands on the stone railing next to the pillars. Roses twirled their way around the columns and the sun cast a beautiful light over the landscape below them. Apple thanked the tranquillity of nature and took a deep breath. This was it. Without looking at Darling, Apple started what would either be the most relieving or the most painful conversation of her life.

"So you were the one who woke me up back when I had been poisoned."

A short pause followed and Darling didn't say anything. Had she really surprised her with her boldness, Apple thought with a smirk. Perhaps Darling wasn't as confident as she seemed.

"Yes, I did," Darling then said.

"How did you do it?"

"Well, I blew air into your mouth, Apple," Darling answered calmly. "I must, like, have removed the poisonous bit of apple from your –"

"Your lips were on mine, Darling," Apple interrupted. "You kissed me and I woke up. That's how the story goes."

Silence. Darling said nothing, Apple said nothing, the students around them said nothing. It was if a bubble of absurdity had been burst. The cat was out of the bag.

"You're right," Darling finally said. Ah, so she admitted it. "I did what had to be done." Apple appreciated her honesty and directness even if the crowd let out a loud gasp. A true knight was always honest.

"Well, then my life is in your debt, Darling," Apple said, turning around to face her. She approached her in a friendly manner. "You may ask anything of me you desire. If it is within my power, it's yours." Apple said, repeating what she had once heard her mother say during a knights' tournament. A great many knights had come from all over the world to compete in a melee, a joust and an archery contest at her family's castle. The winner of the joust, a large, metal-clad man with a griffon on his helmet, had won and knelt in front of her mother and asked for his very own castle by the sea. Her mother had given the man what he wanted. Apple didn't have the power to grant Darling anything that fancy but she assumed that Darling would ask her for something more simple; a new dress, concert tickets or maybe having her thronework done for a year. But when the words had escaped her mouth and Apple saw the look on Darling's face, she instantly knew what she was going to ask.

"I know hexactly what I want, Apple."

"Darling, - - Darling, wait - - " But Apple didn't get to finish the sentence before the young girl was down on her knee, eyes shut tight. With a majestic draw, she unsheathed a beam of sunlight from the jeweled cover, the sun reflecting in the blade's unsullied iron.

"I ask the honor of being your champion. To pledge my life to yours. To keep you safe from all harm."

Apple looked at her. The young girl kneeling in front of her was apparently her one true love. Fate demanded it. But this wasn't right at all. She could tell that Darling was holding her breath, probably nervous concerning how Apple would react.

"Get up," Apple said gently, making a short hand gesture and immediately the princess arose. Darling had the most sincere look in her eyes and it made Apple feel even worse. It wasn't her fault that Darling behaved like this. It was like she was making fun of all the great heroes from the old legends. There was something clumsy about her approach, something which Apple found so unfamiliar with the usually laid-back Darling Charming. But this had also, in truth, awoken her curiosity. Everything Darling had done so far had been in perfect protocol in the ways of how a real knight should have behaved. It was almost like Darling had a small list hidden somewhere, marking off every little detail to the letter. She had definitely trained a lot for this.

"I'm sorry, but…" Apple started, biting her lower lip. This would be painful. How was she going to say it? _I'm sorry, Darling. You can't be my knight because you're a girl._ That'd ruin her. An unfamiliar shadow of uncertainty fell over Darling's bright blue eyes when her chosen one didn't say anything. Apple was close enough to see the desperation forming in Darling's face. She was begging her. Apple knew in that moment what the right thing was to do. What the real Snow White would have done.

"- - I'm sorry that I haven't accepted your offer before now! I was just so confused by how my story has completely changed! I'd love you to be my champion, Darling."

The fear washed away as soon as it had appeared. Darling was a beam, lit with the hope of her own excitement. Shining with anticipation, she put the sword back in its sheath and smiled in satisfaction. She was beautiful, Apple admitted. Especially the way the sun reflected in her flower engraved armor but also in her platinum blonde hair, tan skin and in her blue eyes. Standing so close to her, Apple could clearly see the small droplets of sweat forming in her eyebrows. She too was feeling hot. Both from standing outside in the sun but also from the fact that a person had just pledged her life to hers. It was quite overwhelming. Apple knew the day would come but she had thought that it would be Daring and not his little sister to say the sacred vow. Oh sweet girl, do you even know what this means? But Darling's naivety honestly made her very charming; the way she awkwardly tried to mimic real knights. Apple had no doubt that Darling would try her best to live up to the promise she had just made but also wondered what that would embark. How far were they going to go with this?

Then it was settled. Apple put out her hand and expected Darling to shake it but the steel princess instead leaned down and softly kissed her hand. This caught Apple completely off guard! She quickly withdrew her hand, feeling her cheeks turning slightly red. The people standing around the pair made a shared 'aww' noise but Apple couldn't tell if they were mocking her or if they were being genuine. Probably both. Either way, Darling shouldn't have done that. The other students shouldn't think that they were romantically engaged. But Darling just looked at her.

"My life is at your service, Apple," Darling said, nodding sincerely. The look in her eyes told Apple that she clearly meant every word. "Always and forever after."

Apple didn't know if should feel honoured or afraid of Darling's sudden seriousness. Where had the sweet, pretty girl gone? Was this what their friendship was going to be like now? Apple looked down at her MirrorPhone and knew that she only had about thirty seconds to get to Kingdom Management. She was going to be late. She was about to tell Darling goodbye, but when their eyes met, it was as if she had read her mind. Apple felt Darling grabbing her hand and pulling her after her through the crowd of surprised students but could they make it to class? Perhaps having her own champion would have its advantages?

 **ooOoo**

Both Apple and Darling made it to Kingdom Management just in time, seeing their teacher, the Swineherd, walking down the stairway a level below them. The girls instantly sped up, knowing that they'd be in trouble if they were too late. Apple had seen him too and frowned in disappointment. Darling considered the fact of how much it would displease the blonde to get late for a class simply because of her own vow. The Swineherd hadn't seen them and Darling got an idea. They could jump down from this path and land on the same floor as their teacher. Then they wouldn't have to go the entire way to the next stair and it was only a few feet. And so she did it. She picked Apple up in her arms and easily slid over the edge of the railing. Apple nearly screamed, only just realizing what had happened. When she wrapped her hands around Darling's neck, they had already landed safely on the floor. With no time to explain, Darling grabbed Apple's hand and hurried them into the classroom mere seconds before the Swineherd's arrival.

The classroom and its students met them with a restrained excitement. Seeing that both she and Apple were unusually late, Darling thought they must have had assumed something was up with them. There also sort of was now. When Darling went to her usual seat up front, Darling followed and instinctively pulled out Apple's chair. Apple, surprised, gave her a small smile as she sat down. Darling, then not knowing what to do of herself, placed herself not too far from her. She had thought being someone's knight was going to be challenging but so far she had only helped Apple through her school day. She had offered to carry Apple's books but when she had refused, Darling had thought of new ways to be of service. A small voice in her head had told her not to get too clingy with her whole vow-to-protect-you-forever-after-thing but she ignored it, just as she ignored the many stares she and Apple were receiving.

As their teacher went to the blackboard in order to begin the class, he was interrupted by the crackling voice of a loudspeaker.

" _Attention, Ever After High_ ," it said. " _Will Apple White and Darling Charming immediately go to the headmasters' office._ "

Then silence. Darling could feel everyone staring at her back and looked over towards Apple who were just sitting at her desk, not doing anything. Not wanting to hold back the class for any longer than necessary, and also curious as to why they were called to the Grimms' office, Darling quickly put all her scrolls and notebooks back into her bag. When she was done and stood up, Darling saw that Apple still hadn't moved.

"You are excused," said the teacher.

"Apple, are you coming?" she asked her friend. Apple blinked a few times before she nodded, packed her things and followed through the classroom.

"Once you're finished, just get straight back here," demanded the Swineherd.

"Maybe not exactly 'straight'," the voice said, causing the most of the classroom to burst into laughter. Darling didn't know who said it but she wanted to go back in there and find out. But Apple was already walking down the hallway and Darling knew she had to follow her. Always.

Apple either hadn't heard the comment or maybe she was just ignoring it. She had a frightened look on her face though. "I can't believe we're being sent to Grimm's office," she said. "We haven't done anything wrong!".

Darling shrugged, not really knowing what to say. She understood as much of this as Apple did. It had most likely something to do with her recent announcement of being Apple's champion but why would the headmaster want to see them because of that? Apple was right, they hadn't done anything wrong.

When the two princesses finally arrived at the office, they were met by an open door. This was uncommon but not particular weird considering the fact that they were both expected to show up, Darling thought.

The pair entered the room and found Milton Grimm sitting behind his desk. Not far from him stood his brother Giles Grimm. The two brothers had always reminded Darling of Apple and Raven Queen who, although not sisters, had had a major disagreement on the importance of following one's story. Apple had changed much since then and Darling wondered if there even was anyone left on this school who could still be considered an actual Royal.

"Girls," Milton said solemnly. "We have something important to discuss."

This was what Darling had expected. They were going to lecture them on why she, as a girl, couldn't be Apple's champion.

"We have most recently been informed from various sources that it was you, Darling, who awoke Apple from the Evil Queen's dreaded curse," Giles stated, "and not your brother Daring."

The girls nodded.

"- and that he went missing for a few days bust has now returned to Ever After High."

Darling nodded again. There was no point in telling them that he had been living in the stables. Darling looked to Apple who had probably not been aware of this but she didn't seem to show any concern. Only pale fear.

"Why have you called us here?" Darling then asked.

"To congratulate you, of course," Milton suddenly said cheerfully. Wait, what? "I, I mean, _we_ were so happy to hear that, even if your brother messed up, Mrs. White is, thanks to you, still following her destiny… essentially."

They already knew? Words get around quickly on Ever After High, Darling thought.

"My brother didn't mess up," she exclaimed angrily, "He just wasn't Apple's true love!"

Headmaster Milton shook his head, agreeing. "No, he wasn't," he said. "But you are apparently," Giles continued, looking directly at Darling.

They must have expected her to say something but Darling was lost for words. She was, wasn't she? Apple's true love? She had never really wanted to follow her destiny like that but now when her destiny actually seemed pleasurable, being Apple White's true love and not a damsel in distress, Darling honestly had to reconsider her past choice as a Rebel.

"What the…? Of course she isn't," someone said on her left side and Darling felt a small sting in her heart, knowing that it was Apple. _No, of course you aren't, dummy_ , Darling thought for herself. _You don't love her, she doesn't love you. You're both girls. You like boys, remember?_ Darling felt herself nodding in a display of agreement with Apple.

"You're saying that you and Mrs. Charming are not true loves?" Milton asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know what you take me for, Sir, but I'm not like that," Apple stated explicitly "And neither is Darling. Then how did - - "

"I'm perfectly aware of that Mrs. White, but can you tell me, who is then?" Milton asked in his usual stern voice. He seemed like he was growing increasingly irritated. "I'd have preferred your saviour to be Daring as much as you would, but his sister appears to be your only option now – thanks to her convenient lips."

Darling didn't appreciate being talked about this way and was going to say something about her deserving Apple as much as her brother would have had. But then she realized, shamefully, that that would make her no better than the common heroes, thinking they deserve a princess just because they did their knightly duty of saving her. How could this have changed her so much?

Then, thankfully, Giles stepped in. "Maybe Mrs. White shouldn't be forced to marry someone simply because they woke her from a curse," he said. "Maybe she should be allowed to choose whom she wants to marry by herself."

Milton sighed and drew his hand over his face. "You always pester me with you loose views on rules and destiny, brother. I have warned you of what that may lead to. But in order to upholding the school's prestigious reputation, I assume that we can't just behest two _girls_ to _marry_."

Giles, satisfied with his brother's decision, just gave a nod and one of his grandfatherly smiles. Milton let out another sigh, apparently calming down. "This discussion is not over. But until then we must decide where this leaves us with Darling's destiny.

"Darling is now my champion," Apple said out of nowhere.

That seemed to get Milton's and Giles' attention. "Is that so? Hexcellent!" Milton said. "That's a step in the right direction. If it is Mrs. Charming's destiny to be a hero, then so be it. I, for one, am just glad that at least someone is still willing to follow their destiny."

"Is this also what you want, Mrs. Charming?" Giles asked thoughtfully.

It was. It had always been. "More than anything," Darling replied. The fact that it was now her actual destiny and that even Milton Grimm was allowing it, only made it that much sweeter.

"Then I assume there is no point in you continuing Damsel in Distressing. You'll be moved to Heroics 101 immediately. You following your newfound destiny is of our utmost priority."

 _Yes! Finally!_ That meant no more hours wasted in Maid Marian's stupid class.

"We'll inform your family of the school's decision right away."

"I – I don't know what to say," Darling said sincerely. The meeting had taken a sudden turn in her ultimate favour. A warm feeling had spread inside her: this was what she had wanted for so long and now, suddenly, she had access to it. But how would her mother react to this? It didn't matter. She could be as upset as she wanted to be. Darling's dreams were finally coming true.

"Your first lesson will be, hm, oh, tomorrow afternoon. I'll inform the teacher that you have been to that class."

"You won't have to. The teacher is my father,"

"That's even better, but I must inform him of this arrangement."

Darling just nodded. She had nothing to complain about.

Giles rubbed his old hands together. "Well, if there is nothing else…" he began.

"Mrs. White, please stay," Milton said as Darling and Apple began to rise from the chairs. Apple sat down immediately. "We still have to talk about what happened with you and the Evil Queen."

"I'm not going without –" Darling began, protectively putting her hand on Apple's shoulder, but she was interrupted.

"It's fine, Darling. I'll see you soon," Apple insisted, smiling courtly and not seeming nervous at all. She touched her hand.

Darling felt sort of uncomfortable leaving Apple defenceless to be scolded by the two Headmasters but she withdrew in the end. As she went outside, she leaned her back against the wall and waited for Apple. This was all she had ever wanted and the decisions had only been made in a few minutes. Crazy how everything could change to quickly. But now, being someone's hero, having someone to protect forever after. It was all she had ever wanted and everything was finally going well for her. So why did she have such a bad feeling in her stomach?


	4. Chapter 4

The following days were a blur to Darling. The messages kept rolling in on her MirrorPhone. First it had been her mother who had directly called her. The conversation had been short and had mostly consisted of Darling replying in yes's and no's. Queen Charming was, as Darling had hexpected, highly upset that her precious little princess had completely flipped the script. How could she do this to her family? How could she do this to herself? What about the White family? Now Apple White lacked a proper prince! How could her daughter be so selfish?

Darling had known that her mother would react this way to her coming out as a hero and not a damsel. But Darling had made a choice. She would be true to herself and those around her. If her mother couldn't accept her for whom she was, then Darling had to live with that. She had, after all, learned that a long time ago.

Still it saddened her, that her own mother saw her in this way. As her family, Darling would have hoped that her mother would have been more accepting of her. But no. As soon as the Brothers Grimm had allowed Darling to return to the Swineherd's class, they had apparently dialed her family and informed them of this twist in fate. Now everyone and their fairy godmother knew that Darling " _wasn't a real princess_ ", as her mother put it.

No kidding. During the revelation of it being Darling who saved Apple White and then becoming the hero of her story, people had slowly put two and two together and figured out that Darling had been the White Knight all along. It came as a surprise to some, a shock to most, and a humorous twist to the rest. There were also a couple of princesses, the White Knight's loyal fangirls, who now sent Darling death glares when they passed each other in the hallway on their way to class. Darling shrugged it off. It wasn't her problem if their dreams had been ruined because their high school crush had turned out to be a girl their age.

Darling's father, on the other hand, had been surprisingly fond of his daughter's newfound destiny. Darling had never ever after spent much time with her father. He was sort of Daring and Dexter's parent, while their mother was her parent. They spent time sword practicing with him while she had wasted her time embroidering pink handkerchiefs with their mother. But when Darling told their father that she was going to attend his classes, he had pulled her into him in a large bear hug. He had always known, he said and for once, Darling felt connected to at least one of her parents. He told her that he would talk to her mother.

Apple didn't have it easy either, Darling knew. Now that Darling had pledged her life to Apple White's, they had started spending a lot more time together. Apple had confided in Darling that her mother, Snow White, had called her several times hexplaining her displeasure. But from what Darling could gather, it wasn't as much that Apple had disappointed her as it was that she wouldn't have any grandchildren. The issue seemed to have been solved when Apple had hexplained to her mother that she didn't mean to marry Darling and that there still might be a prince out there for her. Darling, who had it found hilarious at first, had just nodded in silence. There wasn't any way that them marrying would have been possible anyway, Darling thought.

But that didn't stop the fables from spreading. Countless of rumors and fairytales had flourished on the school the passing week. Some said that Apple had been killed by Raven Queen and that Darling had brought her back to life with a healing spell. Others said that Darling was actually a prince disguised as a princess, hexplaining her unwomanly interests. However, the most common fable being that Apple and Darling were now either girlfriends or at least dating. Darling knew that she was supposed to hate that lie, but honestly? Darling would never ever after admit it to Apple but she was sort of glad that many of the boys had lost interest in her. They had, of course, also lost interest in Darling herself which she kind of missed, but being the hero of Apple's story was simply more important now.

And she didn't let anyone forget it. Darling had taken to carrying her sword at all time now, especially when escorting Apple to her classes. Raven had told them that it was strange and that Darling was nearing stalker-territory, but Apple had assured both of them that she found it endearing.

While sitting at Hocus Latte, where it had all started, Apple, Briar, Ashlynn and Darling were chatting over each of their cups of coffee. Darling had never ever after really been a part of the trio but she was now, apparently. Becoming the hero of Apple's story had also sort of helped her socially.

"... and then Tucker asked me if I wanted to see _his_ _chapel_ , and I was like, um no, that's disgusting. I mean, aren't monks supposed to be _celibate_?" Briar laughed and the other girls joined in.

Darling admitted that hanging out with the older girls was a lot of fun. They knew a lot of things, especially about the teachers and the other students, that Darling didn't, being on her Freedom Year. Still, she sort of missed hanging out with Rosabella and helping her put up awareness posters.

Briar kept ranting about her vibrant and colorful social life and all the boys she loved to keep around although never ever after actually attempting anything serious. Darling figured that it might be because she was going to sleep for a hundred years and so dating seemed like a non-issue.

"Well, Hunter and I are still going strong," Ashlynn said and went on how royally blessed she was to have a such a strong and loyal boyfriend. I'm strong and loyal, Darling thought but only smiled and congratulated Ashlynn with her perfect love life.

While only listening with half an ear, Darling watched Apple out of the corner in her eye. Was she feeling uncomfortable? She had just lost her supposed "true love", Daring, and was now stuck with his little sister who was, in fact, a girl. Everyone knew how much Apple put into the subject of true love and romance. Either way, Apple wasn't saying that much.

"How about you, Darling?" Briar smirked, wetting her lower lip, "are there any cute Freedom Year boys, or were we lucky enough to get all of them?"

"No, they're sweet," Darling replied in her usual soft voice, never ever after really taking her eyes from Apple. She took a sip from her pumpkin-carriage spice latte. The taste of cinnamon filled her mouth. She honestly had no idea if the boys cute were or not. They had used to follow her as little ducklings and when they got too close, she or her brothers would politely scare them off. Now that she could no longer be considered a damsel, Darling had found the crowd becoming thinner and thinner each day.

The girls seemed satisfied with the answer and Briar said something about how the Freedom Year boys were always the worst. Meanwhile, Darling observed that Apple had almost finished her coffee.

"Do you want me to charm you a new one? A refill?" Darling asked eagerly, unintentionally interrupting the slightly offended Briar. Serving Apple was her destiny now. That meant serving her in every possible way, even if it meant getting her overprized coffee.

㈈1 **\- ooOoo -**

Some people might had found it hexhausting to have another person follow you like a shadow every day but Apple had grown up with many servants and loving subjects and she knew how to handle it. Darling wasn't a servant, far from it, even though she might have insisted on being called that. Darling was the hero of her story, her _"true love"_ and a good friend. She was also her sort-of-ex boyfriend's little sister and Apple wanted to treat her with proper respect.

"Yes please," Apple replied and Darling gladly went to get her a refill.

While Darling was gone, Briar and Ashlynn fell quiet. Or quieter.

"I don't know how you can stand having her following you like that," Briar told Apple in a low whisper. "Doesn't she, like, you know, make you wish you had stayed asleep?"

"Be nice to her, Briar," Apple lectured politely. "Darling is our friend. She is the same as she has always been. Her destiny has just changed now. I'm just happy that she's still following it."

Ashlynn folded her hands and gave her a somewhat sympathetic look. "Apple, we're glad you feel this way, but doesn't it get weird that when she insists on carrying your books, pulling out your chair and holding the door for you?" Ashlynn asked her. "Not even Hunter does that and he's a royal gem."

"I'm being serious. You two really need to stop talking about her like that. Darling is the new hero of my story. I was as appalled as you but I've come to accept it. Please do so as well."

"We don't have a problem with Darling, she's wicked cool. It's just a tiny bit weird that you're… uh, spending so much time with her."

"That's how my story goes, Ashlynn."

"No, Apple. Your story says that you marry the prince who wakes you up," Briar replied firmly.

"Well, everyone knows their story is going to be a little bit different from the others. Look at my mother's story. She was helped by a band of 7 dwarves and a group of ogres helped my grandmother. It really comes down to whatever after woodlands creatures we bump into, you know. Look at me: I didn't need any creatures to take care of me – I had my best friends forever after; you guys."

"Apple, we're you're friends and we're only trying to help you – but kissing another girl? That's a major page turner -"

"So what if she kissed me?" Apple cut her short. "She did what she had to do or I might have died for real! I know what you're getting at, but there is nothing - and I repeat _NOTHING_ – romantic going on between Darling and I."

"If you say so, Apple. But does she know that?" Briar asked and the three girls watched as Darling danced her way through Hocus Latte, swirling around customers like she was avoided a dragon's flames. It was quite an elegant sight and Apple felt oddly lucky.

Apple was about to say something but estimated that Darling was close enough to hear it. She wouldn't want the girl to think that she was unwanted in her group of friends and thus quickly silenced her comrades.

"What were you guys talking about?" Darling asked innocently as she sat down on the small café throne. She handed Apple the sweet little coffee cup.

Briar was about to say something witty but Apple hurriedly pushed her elbow into her side. Briar groaned and Apple gave Ashlynn a look.

"Uh, we were just talking about how great it is that you found your brother," Ashlynn tried in a friendly manner. "Had he really hidden himself in the school's washing room?"

"Oh, you know Daring. He's… not the sharpest sword in the stone," Darling joked, causing the girls to laugh. Apple knew that Daring had been sleeping in the stables for well over a week but she had sworn to Darling that she wouldn't tell anyone.

"It is great to have him back," Apple said truthfully. She felt kind of sorry for him. They had been supposed to marry one day. But now that he wasn't her prince to be, she could hardly remember why she had had any interest in him.

"How about Dexter? How is he taking your sudden… impulses?"

"It wasn't as sudden to him. He sort of always knew that I wasn't the typical damsel in distress, I guess."

As Darling became increasingly relaxed, it turned out that she was indeed a great conversationalist. She was hextremely polite at all time while managing to keep the conversation going and asking the right questions. By the time dusk swept over Book's End, it felt as if the trio had always been a quartet. It also seemed to Apple like her friends were getting more comfortable with the fact that Darling was now the hero of her story. This made Apple consider that her mother might react in the same way once she got to meet Darling.

On their way out, Apple's hero had insisted on paying for her coffee but she had denied this, hexplaining that Darling would be broke in less than a week if she tried. Apple did however after let Darling help her getting her coat on before leaving Hocus Latte, causing Briar and Ashlynn to collectively roll their eyes.

Darling kept a steady hold on her sword's pommel and a vigilant look on her face as their walked back to Ever After High, not really saying anything. Apple knew that she was being _escorted_ home safely like a real knight would have done to his damsel and she loved every second of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Darling threw herself onto her bed and screamed into her pillow while punching the mattress in frustration. She was all alone in the dorm room and could finally let out her steam.

The young princess knew how to fight monsters, shoot crossbows, defend castles and save damsels from evil cyclops. But being someone's actual knight in shining armor? Darling had no experience with any of that. Apple kept assuring her that she was doing great when she awkwardly did the errands that was expected of a knight. Pulling out chairs, holding doors open and wanting to offer her her jacket for warmth was only natural, Apple hexplained. Then again, she had no experience with any of this either.

Darling sighed hopelessly, watching her own anxious reflection in the neatly polished shield lying on her bed sheets. Pledging her life and sword to Apple had been a good idea, right? Well, it was a dream come true for her and yet it was a lot of pressure to drop on Apple. That was something Darling hadn't considered before going through with it.

To make matters worse, when people had eventually caught on the fact that there were absolutely no romantic relations between her and Apple, the princes of Ever After High had gradually returned to show interest in Apple again. It was _so_ annoying. Apple didn't seem to care much about any of them but Darling knew that she was bound to fall for someone at some point - and would that mean she ceased to be Apple's knight in shining armor?

It might have been kind of fun if the boys had at least showed some interest in Darling as well, but ever since she had put being a damsel behind her, no one approached her. Dumb boys. They seriously couldn't handle a princess with harder steel than themselves? Brooding under her blankets, Darling decided that she didn't need any of them. Ever.

 _So I'm just gonna be a single maiden forever then?_ Darling asked herself. Really? No way. There were odd and unfamiliar ideas floating around in the back of her head which Darling had suppressed and denied for days now. Weeks maybe. Months. Years?

Before concluding anything in her brooding state of mind, Darling was disturbed by a small hand pulling onto her shoulder. With bewilderment in her eyes, Darling rolled over in her bed. She was met by a pair of red lair of classes and auburn locks of hair.

"... Rosabella?" It was as much a greeting as a question. The daughter of the Beauty was covered in an unhexplainably thick layer of mud and moss. "What the spell happened to you?"

Rosabella scratched the back of her neck while smirking slightly. "Well, you see, I was passing out flyers for the enchanted forest preservation campaign. I might have yelled some _harsh_ things to some bypassers and a mean, old troll wouldn't have any of that, so he pushed me down a hill."

"What?!"

"No no no, don't worry, I'm fine as a phoenix. This nice, soft moss I landed on eased the pain." Rosabella pulled out a stach of green gooey moss from her pocket. "I brought some of it with me home to make my bed feel softer."

Wheels turned inside Darling's head. Flyers? Tuesday? Rosabella? Troll? _Oh, no!_

"The flyers! Oh, Rosabella, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot about that!" Darling palm-slapped herself. She had been so caught up with being Apple's knight champion that she had entirely forgot about the promise she had made to Rosabella about helping her with the flyers. And now she had been assaulted by a bypassing troll - something Darling, as a hero, could and should have prevented.

"I figured you were too busy with your new Heroics 101 lessons to join in, Darling - but c'mon, it's ok, forgetfulness can happen to the best of us."

Rosabella did a small shrug as if it didn't mean anything. But Darling knew her best friend forever after better than that.

"No, Rosabella. I gave you my word and I didn't keep it." Keeping promises was the most basic thing of being a knight. "I have wronged you."

The muddy girl with the auburn hair put her hands on her hips, tilting her head slightly. "Well, I was starting to think that I have to pretend to fall victim to poisonous fruit to get your attention nowadays."

The comment was obviously a joke and Darling couldn't hold back her light chuckle.

"That's fair. I get your point. Look, I'm really sorry that I've been acting this way the past… week."

"Don't be. It's your dream and I get it. You got this one lifetime chance so you better not waste it!"

Darling didn't know what to say. "You're too sweet, Rosabella. I'm serious though. I promise - and this time I mean to keep it - that I'll be a better friend from now on."

Rosabella smiled. "Alright, good. I would hate to have to share you with my older cousin."

Darling remembered that Rosabella and Briar weren't the best of friends, the one being a magical creatures' rights activist while the other couldn't give two golden eggs about cockatrice battery cages. Rosabella was apparently aware of how much time Darling had been spending with Briar, Ashlynn and Apple lately.

"You won't have to worry about that," Darling smiled, stood up and helped Rosabella to the bathroom to get her cleaned up.

"Keep your shield up!"

The mace clashed against the shield and Darling stumbled backwards. Then it came down upon her again. Her father was yelling at her to do a maneuver and roll fall or something but it that wouldn't be possible while her opponent had locked her into a corner.

Heroics 101 was Darling's favorite subject ever after but it was also the hardest. Being put up against boys much older than herself was one thing. Having the pressure of the White Knight put on her was something else. Many of the other students attending this class had envied the White Knight for "his" good publicity and admirers so when they had found out that "he" had been a small girl - one they'd now get to practice with - they found their pleasure in constantly putting Darling on blast.

"Is it too hard for you, pretty princess?" laughed the large boy while smashing his spiked mace against Darling's shield. "Shouldn't you be in Damsel-in-distressing?"

Prince Don, the son of Prince John, seemed to especially having taken a liking to making Darling's Heroics 101 lessons difficult. It was almost as if he somehow felt threatened by her presence. Many of the boys did in the beginning but as they realized that Darling was just there to learn the same way they were, it had settled down. It also helped that Daring and Dexter was usually there.

The blows kept coming and yet Darling sensed a slow in the rhythm. Don was getting tired. After he landed an especially heavy blow and Darling managed to block it, she quickly bashed the iron edge of her shield into his chest. He stumbled around and Darling flung her shield against his feet, tripping him. When he landed on the ground in a huge cloud of dust, Darling was instantly over him and proceeded to punch him in the nose with her metal gauntlet.

Prince Don had stopped laughing and Darling was declared the winner. All around her students were sparring while others observed. Her father, King Charming, who was also the teacher had thought it was a good idea to change the usual wooden weapons with real weaponry because he thought it would be better preparation for a real-life scenario. Besides, the school wasn't going to fire him. Everyone loved King Charming ever after all.

Darling wiped blood of her face and took a break. Heroics 101 usually consisted of dumb stuff like seducing maidens and rhetorical comebacks so it was a nice breath of fresh air to get to do something that would be useful in the real world. Darling looked over to see that Daring was kicking Dexter's butt, not much of a surprise. Everyone knew that Dexter hated Heroics 101 since he wasn't cut for fighting or seducing people. Darling pitied her twin brother and wished he could just follow the destiny he wanted to.

With her brothers distracted, someone had seen their chance to sneak up on Darling. Sigurd, the son of a king up north, were one of the boys who thought it was exciting if not downright intriguing to have a girl in the class. Darling knew his type though. He thought it would be fun to date a girl who could swing a sword but when he was bested, he would turn sour like a poisoned apple.

"Hey, Darling, nice fighting out there. Don't mind, Don, he's just a big oaf." He approached her while Darling was cleaning her armor.

"I'm sure he means well."

Sigurd laughed and asked if he could sit down next to Darling. She hadn't really talked to any boys since pledging her life to Apple and thus gladly welcomed the attention. Sigurd was an alright guy and certainly not a bad fighter at all. His family had a tradition of hunt dragons but Sigurd was apparently against such cruel acts. Darling admired how he stood up to his family.

The two teenagers were talking about sword fighting and jousting, when Sigurd suddenly changed the subject with a not very smooth transition. "So, I'm sure you've heard of that stupid school dance coming up, right?"

"I've heard it mentioned, yeah."

Darling had totally forgotten about that. So much stuff was happening in her life right now that it was a wonder she could even keep up with her thronework. And now Sigurd was going to ask her to the dance? He was a swell guy and all but Darling was not sure if that was what she sought anymore.

"I was thinking, do you know if Apple White has someone to go with? I mean, you two seem to be pretty close all of a sudden."

Darling was taken aback. "I, ugh, I don't really know."

"Well, if not, would you mind putting in a good word for me?"

That was it. Darling angrily put her shield down and left the confused prince. What the spell was he thinking? That she was going to be his wingman? As if. Apple was _her_ princess. People couldn't just come and think they could pass her over. She and Apple might both be girls and not romantically involved at all but that didn't mean that Darling would just let herself be cast aside like that.

Darling felt the need to throw herself on her bed again and scream into her pillows but realized that it wouldn't be any productive. She had to talk to someone wise.


	6. Chapter 6

**So it's been six months since I last uploaded a chapter. Well, what can I say? Picking up from where we left off, this chapter will be entirely from Darling's point of view. The reader will also have some limited insight from the other character's perspectives.**

The following day, Darling knocked on the door to Apple's room. There was none wiser on the entire school grounds of Ever After High when it came to the topic of destiny.

Raven Queen.

"What is it?!" the dark sorceress yelled from the other side of the wooden door.

"Roomservice?" Darling called back. She and Raven were close friends.

Raven didn't reply and so Darling let herself in.

The goth girl was lying on her bed, crownphones in her ears and listened to what Darling could only assume was music. It sounded more like a dying mermaid screaming her lungs out at the highest volume.

As Darling went inside, Raven opened her eyes slightly. She sat up in her bed. "Oh, it's you. Apple's not here."

"I didn't come to see Apple," Darling hexplained. It stung a bit that Raven thought she was only there for her roommate. "I came to talk to you."

Raven turned her music down and tossed her MirrorPod onto the bed. She clapped the free space next to her and Darling sat down.

"What were you listening to?"

"Dying Mermaid: Screaming My Lungs Out, Vol. 1."

No way.

The two girls talked about this and that for a bit until Raven eventually leaned forward to the edge of the bed.

"What's bothering you, Darling? Or should I call you my knight in sour armor?"

"Well…" Darling began. She had to be careful with her words. Raven might get suspicious if she was too straight forwarded. "This friend of mine -"

"We're talking about you, right?"

"No!" Darling insisted. "This friend of mine is sort of in a…. predicament. You see, he has this female friend and, ah, don't misunderstand me, he is not in love with her or anything like that, of course…"

Raven boringly rested her face in her left palm while Darling went on hexplaining.

"... but he has sort of sworn to protect her life and to be her unyielding shield against all evil, ok? You follow? Well, other guys are starting to get interested in his princess and so, well, frankly, it's making him feel really uncomfortable. Not because he likes the girl, of course, but because, you know, he has to protect her and stuff."

Raven gave her a long look. "Are you finished?"

Darling nodded nervously.

"Well, you and Apple clearly have a lot of really weird issues."

"What?! No! I was asking for a friend! Not me and Apple!"

"Whatever after…" Raven groaned. "Look, I'm actually kinda glad it was _you_ and not some creepy, little worm who took Daring's place. Or even Daring for that matter. I'm glad it's actually one of my best friends forever after who keeps coming into my room all the time."

Darling giggled innocently as if she had only just noticed. "Oh, yeah, I guess I am."

"You guess? Darling, seriously, you've been in our room almost every single day since you made that stupid vow to Apple; pretending to be her girlfriend, oh, _sorry_ , I mean knight, to no end."

Something clicked inside Darling's head. She felt like a bucket of ice water had been dropped on her. "Hexcuse me!?"

"Look, Darling, let's skip to the next chapter already: you're acting like a gold-obsessed dragon." Raven sounded worried. "It's like you think you have to marry Apple or something simply because you woke her up. But listen, you don't have to do anything you don't want to!"

The steel-clad princess stared at Raven. Rosabella had only suggested that Darling might like the blonde princess. Raven outright accused her!

"I am _not_ interested in Apple like that!" Darling said, feeling embarrassed. "I don't like girls! Take that back, _Queen_."

Raven couldn't help but to laugh. "Queen? Ouch, you're in deep!"

Darling was furious. She harbored no romantic feelings for Apple White _at all!_ Why did everyone and their Fairy Godmother assume so? Sure, if Darling had been some coy boy, she might have had peculiar feelings. Apple was not only the fairest in the land, she was also one of the smartest girls at Ever After High. The dorky way she laughed when Darling acted silly for her. Or the way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about. Or the way she smiled at her in class when no one was looking. But Darling didn't like Apple like _that!_

She crossed her arms in defiance. Her voice was breaking up. "I don't take kindly to being accused of such… a-abnormalities."

"Look, I don't give a troll's fart which direction your unicorn rides, but Darling, listen to me:" Raven smiled as she put her hand on her shoulder, "you're the master of your own destiny. You don't _have to_ marry anyone simply because you woke them up from an enchanted sleep. That'd be insane, right?"

"I know it would. I don't want to do that..." Darling mumbled. She was seething with anger. Raven was making her flip her crown!

"Really? Seems to me you're ready to throw your own principles out of the window and follow whatever loony destiny the Grimms give you as soon as you have a cute little princess to call your own."

That was the final straw. Apple was not 'hers', Darling didn't 'own' Apple, her vow wasn't 'stupid' and her new destiny sure as hex wasn't 'loony'. In a fit of rage, Darling arose from the bed, drew her shining blade from its sheath and pointed it at the dark magical girl.

She dropped the sword as soon as she had pulled it out and it fell onto the floorboards with a loud 'clunk'.

The purple fires, which had lit in Raven's hands and eyes, immediately died as soon as the girl sat down next to her on the bed. Her face was buried in her hands, whimpering.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Darling cried.

Although Raven should be mad, she instinctively embraced her friend in a hug. Poor Darling. Love was a strange thing, Raven knew. That was at least one thing she had learned from her father's love for her mother.

"Stop thinking so much about what is hexpected of you, Darling. You don't ever have to be anyone other than yourself," Raven said, looking at the sword and the armor. "You of all fairytales should know that."

Darling sat there for a bit. She took a deep breath. Raven was getting uncomfortably deep beneath her skin. But she was wrong. Darling had no intentions of courting Apple. When she had saved Apple's life, Darling had done it out of fear that Apple might die. Compassion and nobility had lead her to it. Not lust or whatever lewdness Raven implied.

"I won't tell Dexter about your crush," Darling began, instantly turning the other princess into a flushing puddle of awkwardness, "if you promise not to tell Apple anything. Not that there _is_ anything to tell."

Raven eventually calmed herself and gave the other girl's shoulder a soft squeeze. "Darling, denying your feelings won't -"

The girls were completely interrupted when the door began to open. As if on cue, Apple White stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Darling stared at her, anxious she might have overheard their conversation.

The blonde fluttered singingly across the room, followed by a small flock of tweeting birds. So hextra. She greeted her two friends before she eventually landed in front of her large, golden mirror and proceeded to brush her golden curls while the birds went out of the open window. Apple looked over her shoulder and smiled sweetly at Darling and Raven.

"You two look like you're up to something."

Darling felt Raven staring at her as if she wanted her to confess whatever after it was Raven thought Darling felt towards Apple, but Darling didn't feel any such things and so there was nothing to confess. She still felt like puking though.

"Hey, Apple. We were just talking about… " Darling bit her lip as her eyes darted around the room and landed on Raven's MirrorPod, "...mermaids."

 _Why didn't she say music!?_

Apple simply nodded and kept brushing her hair while humming ever so beautifully. Darling was drooling over Apple's shapely feminine body, which she was in no way attracted to, until she felt Raven elbow her. Darling leaned back into the bed completely embarrassed.

"So, Darling, you had something you wanted to tell you, Apple, right?" Raven started and Darling went pale. What the hex was she doing?! Weren't they supposed to be friends?! Just putting her on the spot like that?! That was royally messed up!

"Oh?" Apple turned around.

Darling had no idea what she was going to tell her. Raven had obviously not got the memo that Darling and Apple were both girls. How was she ever going to get out of this mess?

"Well, you see…"

"Hey, Darling, why is your sword on the floor?" Apple asked, looking down.

"Whoopsie, thanks! I was looking for that." Darling immediately picked up the sword and put it in its sheath like it was no big deal.

Apple laughed in that cute way she did and proceeded to comb her hair. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

Please, Fairy Godmother, show me the right page, Darling silently begged. Didn't she have anything good to come up with? There had to be something. Oh, of course!

"There was this guy I talked to the other day."

"Really?!" both Apple and Raven said in unison. Apple was already overly-hexcited while Raven sounded utterly skeptical if not outright disappointed.

"Yeah, I met him in class."

"Is he sweet? Is he handsome?" Apple questioned. She put her brush down and went to sit next to Darling on Raven's bed. She took her hand with both of hers which caused Darling to stutter.

"H-he's alright, I guess. He wanted to ask _you_ , not me, to the upcoming party."

Apple opened her mouth but didn't say anything and thus closed it again.

Raven narrowed her eyes. "Wait, who are you talking about?"

"Sigurd Völsung, son of Sigmund Völsung. He's in my Heroics 101 class."

"Really? _He_ wants to ask Apple out? That's so bizarre."

"Please, Raven, don't be rude." Apple said. "Why is that bizarre?"

"He's such an outdoorsy fellow. You know, the kind of guy who goes camping, fishing and skiing or whatever after. I'd never thought he'd be interested in someone like you."

"Well, Raven, let me inform you, I am plenty 'outdoorsy' myself," Apple countered and the two went into a long discussion about whether or not an enchanted forest could be called harsh wilderness.

Darling was only half listening, agreeing with both Apple or Raven now and then, as she found herself more or less lost in her own thoughts.

Sigurd would only be the first guy to make an attempt at Apple White. If that didn't work out, which Darling had no intention of it doing, countless other guys would eventually follow.

"What about you Darling?"

Darling woke up. "What? What about me?"

"Who are you going with?"

The conversation had apparently shifted to the topic of whom each girl was bringing to the dance.

"I don't know. No one has asked me yet."

Both Apple and Raven stared at her in disbelief. Darling shrugged.

"Darling, are you serious?" Apple asked in that older sisterly way Darling despised. "I'm sure I've got somebody I can set you up with."

"Don't worry about it, Apple. Someone is probably going to ask me pretty soon."

"Are you coming, Raven? It'll be the most magical night of your life!"

"Well, there's a dance on this blasted high school every other wandsday," Raven shrugged. "If I'm not going tonight, I might be going to the one next week."

Darling didn't really listen to the rest of the conversation. There was no reason to freak out was there? Apple could go with whomever she wanted to go with. And Darling's life didn't depend on some stupid guy taking her on a stupid date.

Nobody asked Darling to the dance.

Why? Darling had no idea. She was usually followed by a crowd of guys but ever since she became Apple's knight in shining armor, the crowd had gradually thinned each day until it ceased to exist. At the first chapter, Darling had welcomed the change but now, when she actually needed a guy to be interested in her, she was left completely alone. She had kept putting it off to later and was now completely out of pages.

All her male friends had dates. Even Hopper. She wouldn't just ask any stranger either. She was a bloody Charming after all!

But she needed to go. Apple would be there and a school dance could be a dangerous place, Darling convinced herself. What if her princess choked on some _evil_ punch? Or what if someone _evilly_ stepped on her foot and didn't apologize? The young princess brooded. Besides, maybe Darling would find someone there: maybe even a prince who was romantically cut off from his supposed love interest as well.

Darling was getting fairest in her room with Rosabella. The brunette didn't hexactly plan on partying either and would instead be leading the fundraising event which she had organized. Forty percentage of the dance's income would go to the Awareness Campaign for Dyslexic Dragons, one of Rosabella's many admirrorable causes. Darling's heart broke for Roseballa. She had offered to help but Roseballa insisted.

While Darling was in the dorm bathroom curling her hair, she received a hext on her MirrorPhone. Mentally begging that it would be from Apple, Darling was handsomely rewarded as the small mirror displayed one new message containing a picture file.

Opening the message, Darling found Apple posing in a spellfie, wearing a fableous, scarlet dress with golden lining and white lace. Gemstones and pearls were embroidered in a spellbinding pattern across the chest. She had put her golden hair up with a crown of beautiful red flowers and seemed to be wearing black tights.

Darling felt herself getting fluttered. The image was only displayed on the mirror for ten seconds before it faded away in a red mist but in that moment, Darling couldn't get her eyes off of her princess. Darling was reminded of their childhoods: Apple would usually go on playdates with her older brother and even then she had been the fairest of them all. But there was something else to it now. Something much more adult which Darling really couldn't put her finger on.

The younger princess replied to the message by snapping a picture of herself. Her hair was a mess and her makeup completely undone and yet she still royally wanted Apple to see her. She pointed to her eye, which she had accidently poked using her mascara brush, and made an unhappy pout like a cute little model. She captioned it " _:(_ " before hitting send.

Twentythree anxious seconds passed before a new message beebed in. Darling instantly opened it. It was only a message, not a picture. " _Let me blow the pain away :*_ ".

Darling had almost dropped her phone onto the bathroom tiles. A kiss! A kissing-emoji! Darling was freaking out. What did that mean? Did Apple want to kiss her? No, that couldn't be. Everyone was using kissing-emojis all the time. She shouldn't put any more meaning into this than it was. Be chill, Darling, she told herself. You're acting so strange. But was it really that weird? Darling imagined Apple kissing her eye to make the pain go away, even if it had never really hurt. Then Darling would softly grab Apple's arms, drag her into her, gently brush Apple's hair out of the way, and then reenact their crowning in the forest glade...

Darling slapped herself across the face. She had to stop thinking thoughts like these. There was absolutely _nothing_ between them and there was _not_ going to be. Darling was her knight, Apple was her princess. Sure, they were "true loves" but that obviously that didn't mean anything. And yet Darling couldn't help but to smile at the thought as she explored it deeper while preparing her hair for the night.

Darling and Rosabella eventually found themselves waiting by the entrance to the Castleteria, chatting and laughing. Rosabella was practising the speech she would perform while Darling eagerly listened to her passionate friend, adding a few jokes here and there. Rosabella wore a yellow dress with white stripes and a large collar of wild and golden sunflowers. Darling thought she looked wicked good.

The aspiring knight herself wore a short azure dress with navy thigh-highs and a pair of matching cream stilettos. Above her neck and shoulder, Darling wore a chainmail aventail of polished steel, a dashing blue cape and her trusted shoulderplates above those. Her massive, white hair looked like it usually did only tonight Darling had fastened it with silver strings. She felt ready to conquer the world - even if that was more of an Evil Queen thing to do.

Darling quickly glanced at her phone. A new message from Apple. They had been talking all night.

"The others will be here in a spell," Darling smiled. She knew Rosabella was afraid of no one showing up even if it was an irrational fear. Everyone loved her fundraisers. They were always off the book.

Rosabella gave her roommate a sincere look. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Sure. Not having a date isn't the end of the world." Even if her mother and most other princesses would disagree.

"I was talking about Apple and that guy. I can't imagine the hexual tension between the two of you. Are you sure you're going be ok?"

Darling was caught completely off guard.

"I-I…" _You are ok with it! You don't have any feelings for Apple!_ "... I'm ok, don't worry. I told you already, I'm straight as a beanstalk. There's nothing unordinary between Apple White and I."

"Well, beanstalks aren't really straight in real life, so..." Rosabella lectured and Darling would just wish she would shut up.

Before Darling could deny the accusations for what seemed like the thousandth time, their friends showed up. The entire Royal flush was there: Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella and, of course, Apple White. And their dates. Briar, who was wearing a fairyshort, pink dress and stilettos, had beatbox blasting sick tunes with her. Was she seriously playing her own theme music

Her brothers were there as well and everyone of Daring's seven dates, all of whom Darling had never talked to before. He had been swimming in proposals from hopelessly devoted girls after dropping Apple's destiny. The girls had then seen their chance to get their claws on the most handsome boy in school, as Daring put is ever so selflessly. Though Darling didn't feel particular sorry for the scheming girls, she still couldn't believe her brother had brought _seven girls_ with him to the dance. He could be such a princessnizer.  
Dexter was all alone. Raven had apparently not wanted to go and Darling felt bad for her twin brother. But at least it meant that she wasn't the only Charming there without a date.

"My knight in shining armor," Apple said sincerely as she approached Darling and put her hands on the princess' upper arms. Darling was aware of the fact that the steel aventail absolutely sparkled in the unforgiving lights from the party, and she loved it.

"My princess," Darling smiled and the two girls hugged eagerly. Apple's hair smelled like fresh strawberries and Darling wondered what her shining lip gloss would taste like. They pulled away from each other before their audience could raise too many unwanted questions. Apple blew cold air into Darling's sore eye and giggled as she introduced her to her date: Sigurd.

He was still ever the broad-shouldered, fair-haired norseman, wearing a light grey, woolen shirt, a stylish jacket made of wolf skin and a crown of what Darling assumed were gold plated dragon teeth. He had a golden Royalex watch on his wrist. Oh, please. His arms were thick as sea serpents and he might as well have had a barrel for a chest. He towered over Darling like a mountain and she already hated him.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Charming," Sigurd said as he kissed her hand. "Trust me, Apple, this one is fierce. You should see her with a sword and a shield. I assure you, you are in more than capable hands."

My lips are very capable too, Darling thought to herself. Sigurd might be Apple's date but Darling was still her Princess Charming. Right?

"Tell me more about it," Apple smiled as she lead Sigurd into the Castleteria. Darling scowled as Sigurd put his arm around Apple's waist.


End file.
